HISTORY OF IDEAS - Rituals

[@PiotrekPomorski]

That is perhaps one of the best quality content video I've seen in years. In those 15 minutes you've managed to put so much information in a viewer-friendly form, outstanding! The best of it is that it's only after third or fourth time watching it, one is able to comprehend all it's integrity and true deepness of moral. Cheers guys, keep it going!

[@frankschneider6156]

15 min and what does it say ? "Humans need rituals", which is of course utter crap. Rituals have not been eliminated because of "evil" capitalists, but simply because they are absolutely senseless to rational beings. Yes there are sports events, but neither do they have a ritual character, nor are the participants (at least on average) cognitively controlled

[@PiotrekPomorski]

+Frank Schneider Partly agree. Nevertheless what I meant in the comment was more like appreciation for the information given in the video itself. The subject needs much more research (and discussion). It's just nice to start it in a place like this one. Cheers!

[@frankschneider6156]

Piotrek Pomorski Yes, the video is professionally made and conveys a lot of information, agreed. I just do not subscribe to the message.

[@davemarx7856]

"sorry means you don't do it again" I'm going to remember that one.

[@ImehSmith]

👍🏽👍🏽

[@MissMinaOh]

I learned a lot from this video. But I started falling asleep because of the narrator's soothing voice. Note to self: watch in the morning, not before bedtime :)

[@DraganBakema]

the narrator is Alain de Botton himself. Brittish philosopher, writer, school of life founder, a reminder of things that matter, documentary maker, art lover, much-appreciated guest as an eloquent speaker at a lot of group gatherings all over the world. Look him up. He is an inspiration..well to me he is, I hope he does the same to you, all the best bye, Dragan.

[@mikestott1056]

@@DraganBakema Yeah i was just thinking how well done this is ! thanks

[@pallavpandya63]

These videos satisfies our inner need,next reaction of self is relaxation so it puts us in to sleep mode.I feel something like this.

[@kateapples1411]

Saturnalia sounds pretty great. Almost like The Purge, without the violence and sins against humanity itself, just social crimes.

[@elephantwarrior53]

I would like to keep the violence of the Purge. That is the best way to deal with Donald Trump. Just kidding. I wouldn't consider them crimes of any sort. All the people seem to be willing participants in this crazy affair.

[@doomstadt2371]

I was going to make almost this exact comment. Saturnalia sounds like exactly what the world needs nowadays. I suspect that people would just ruin it though, nobody seems to know how to let anything go anymore.

[@celesteyoung1505]

Elephant Warrior .

[@AntonST100]

I would be so much fun. FUCK CHRISTIANITY FOR FOR COMING ALONG AND FUCKING IT UP.

[@mahabubalma8195]

Kate Apples the funny part is 17 Dec is my birthday

[@cza3826]

I like the idea of planning collective appointments with important emotions.

[@Robersora]

Wow, this really made me reassess my stance on rituals - I was never a fan of forced/dictated celebrating of ancient festivities. But now I see it in a different light. Great video!

[@RafalReyzer]

There's a great quote from the "Inner Work" book by Robert A. Johnson that's totally congruent with the video: "All my experience as a psychologist leads me to the conclusion that a sense of reverence is necessary for psychological health . If a person has no sense of reverence, no feeling that there is anyone or anything that inspires awe , it generally indicates an ego inflation That cuts the conscious personality off completely from the nourishing springs of the unconscious. It is ironic, then, that so much of our modern culture is aimed at eradicating all reverence e, and respect for the high truth. and qualities that inspire a feeling of awe and worship in the human".

[@MegzeeR]

I can be in awe without feeling the need to worship. In fact the need to worship is in direct conflict with psychological health because to worship is to give up one's own beliefs in their own power to help, create, inspire and thinks that the object deserving worship is much more powerful to handle such needs. It devalues the true power each of us carry to lift our neighbor up from their troubles and reduces our need to care if we do.

[@alexanderchenf1]

MegzeeR see, that’s the self-ego that the post was talking about

[@theczar8435]

@@alexanderchenf1 Not entirely. One can have reverence without religion and "higher truth" does not automatically mean truth found in biblical text. @MegzeeR The original post does not indicate that reverence=worship. Simply a deep and profound respect for someone or something.

[@CanisLupusSteparium]

I say it's about time to celebrate the Roman heritage of Western culture and bring back Saturnalia! Io Saturnalia!

[@brunfranc]

So your italian or greek?

[@JerehmiaBoaz]

No need to, we'll have it as long as the Catholics have carnival / mardi gras.

[@CanisLupusSteparium]

Adora Tsang All of the catharsis, none of the gore. I have no problem with that...

[@brunfranc]

***** I think it whould be easier to just come up with rituals for America, since its so diverse, for those who dont already have their own religious rituals. But your almost right, theres scandinavians and theres celtics. Neither are mediterranian.

[@busdrivermike13]

+Mister Ray obviously your lacking in history knowledge, the Roman festivals Gods and other facets of society became part of European society when the Roman Empire ruled Europe and most of what's now England and with the interbreeding Between cultures these are now shared.

[@MissMinaOh]

Thank you for posting thoughtful content on KZbin. Subscribed after watching just one video!

[@djacks247]

We just started a new global ritual. It's called quarantine.

[@sampeacaml9307]

#Modernramadan

[@BramowitchIII]

In ritual "the world as lived and the world as imagined turn out to be the same world." -Geertz.

[@DrBrainTickler]

well, people sure do wish that was true and they do everything they can to make that a status quo driven fact of reality... Not that that is realistic in the least but hey, it is what it is.

[@JoseAmaya-gp2yb]

And what it is is a societal placebo effect, no actual substance or validity, with all the good feeling.

[@DrBrainTickler]

Jose Amaya yes exactly... A placebo affect. The pretend time of children. A failure to face the fact of reality because of irrational fears and ignorance. A psychological defense mechanism. A security blanket.

[@Lullaby26]

Alain you are definitely an Ascended Master and I am forever thankful for your insights. You are supeeeeerb. And you make me believe that gentleness has not died in this world.

[@iofish__]

I can't put into words how grateful I am for these short videos, Alain de Botton and the School of Life team. Thank you.

[@Sockmonkeyhai]

I think that our rituals have just become smaller, in that its less about the whole group doing something together, and more about people picking rituals that are suited to them. Certain people will go to the same festival every year when it comes around, and others don't because they don't like it. Some people have parties at a certain time of the year every year, some people will take a vacation in a similar way. I don't think rituals are gone, but that they are more attuned to each person and therefore smaller groups gather for them.

[@KeenanRuffinEl]

this

[@Sockmonkeyhai]

+Persistent Pursuit Of Enlightenment Most rituals are and have been for a long time. Anytime there is a gathering of people, they will buy or consume things. Most festivals in the past included food and alcohol, and that means lots of money was spent on it. Also, more people have money to spend now. In the past, it was about what you could make within your home or group of people. It was still about the consumption of a good or service, such as music, it was just done in house. The difference now is we have big companies doing it. It was never /not/ about consuming things, except for the specific religious traditions that involve fasting, which some people still do today in religious and nonreligious ways.

[@canteluna]

The School of Life videos are wonderful, brilliantly conceived, concise, packed with information that includes a perspective that is not the "wiki history" that purports to be objective but one with a point of view that is enlightened, humble, broad and generous. Very impressive. Big fan.

[@ThePeaceableKingdom]

Very well done. I appreciate the multi-cultural, cross-cultural emphasis which is important to the point that ritual is human rather than a culturally specific trait. And you can't comprehensively catalog every ritual around the world and through history while keeping your video to a reasonable length. I would draw a line from Saturnalia to some Euro-centric practices like Fool's Day as it was traditionally practiced. One could also mention Maying in this regard and its loosening of the the rather strict mores intended for the young in Celtic and Gaelic lands especially... (Oh that we two were Maying, Now is the time of Maying, etc.) The pagan calendar had its feast days, and the medieval Christian calendar was full of them. But your video is very good, has a very good breadth, and emphasizes something the modern world needs very much to rediscover. (Oh, and BTW, I think commerce has found a way to make peace - and money - with Christmas! ;-) Perhaps that could show a path toward incorporating other worthy ritual days in the world that business has created...)

[@shanesullivan460]

10:43 "...while the ball is canonized in a special museum in Manchester." So, I'm to understand that it is currently a...canon ball? *Rimshot*

[@oahuahi]

canon /=/ cannon 'cannonball' defeats the wordplay of 'canon ball'

[@monoolho_mestre]

Precisely. The ball was inserted into the canon.

[@aimelinhvuong]

This channel heals my soul in the most splendid way possible.

[@Pastshelfdate]

How many of us in the US thought of how "Black Friday" has encroached ever more on the older ritual of Thanksgiving day? What can we do to stop it? Personally, I've completely avoided shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, spending the time with family or friends, instead.

[@gghhpuf]

I do think we have rituals nowadays. for example, graduation, both in high school and university, are rituals in which the young person finishes a chapter of his/her life. parents and loved ones usually gather together to see how their child is a bit more grown up. Also, weddings are still very common, even if they are not made in a church, new year Eve is a big thing in most countries, you start a brand new year and think what you want to do to have a better life, and when someone dies there is always a funeral (which is also a ritual)

[@MsMetaLady]

I have a book called The Orphics, which is about Orphism, the religion that was in ancient Greece before the 12 Gods of Olympus. The origins of Orphism is dated by most historians around 18th century BC and this book, partially written in the 5th century BC, contains hymns, stories and rituals about various Gods, the Sun, the Moon, Mother Earth, Dreams, Demons, Death, Health, Luck and others. Owning a book like that makes me feel so excited, like i m one step closer to my ancestors 4000 years ago! You got so many interesting stuff School of Life, thank you!

[@kuyaleinad4195]

Yeah perhaps the West need more spiritual and deeper types of rituals. One of the rituals we do that baffles me that Western countries don't have is 'The day of the dead' or 'All saints day'. It's celebrated by Hispanics and us Filipinos and it is a Christian ritual. Yes, it's a religious ritual but hear me out :) Basically, it's a day dedicated for the relatives you lost. You go visit their grave, clean it up, have a picnic for them and we tend to leave food and flowers for them. I think it's a pretty nice idea to have a day dedicated to those you lost :/ Not only will you be paying your respects but I think it kinda reduces the burden of losing someone. It's a day of remembrance and reflection. I may not be very religious but this celebration/ritual has always been one that I've enjoyed compared to Easter. Western Easter isn't good either since it's all about buying chocolate eggs nowadays :/

[@JenWithThePen]

I wonder why you think that Westerners do not have the ritual of 'The day of the dead' and 'All saints day'. In Germany for instance they have the 1st and 2nd of November for 'all saints' and 'all souls' - day. It's a catholic ritual. Also there is a day for protestants at the end of November called 'Dead Sunday'. These rituals aren't cheerful celebrations, though. They are very melancholic and quiet (and it is forbidden to dance, work or be noisy on those days).

[@enzocompanbadillo5365]

As a mexican, I have always considered fiipinos our cultural cousins. Yet, I find it hard no to see myself as a westerner.

[@fabiosilva9637]

I wonder what is your definition of western society as to not include latin america....

[@wishiwaslizbennet924]

Its' celebrated in Poland and throughout Eastern Europe too!

[@ImehSmith]

Yea. We have Memorial Day here in America

[@mekman4]

This is a good segment. I'm glad there was differentiation between toxic rituals (that ruin them for everyone) and the rest. It is dangerous that we lack a sense of community, it would explain the rash of shootings which in many ways began as apathy for violence in poorer neighborhoods. We are our brothers (and sisters) keeper. Healthy minds should be cultivated and even distributed often among society. Just being in their presence can eradicate, pernicious simmering emotions. The right people in the right place in the right time dispersed frequently as well as moments of necessary private growth. Rituals are needed I think and they must be kept mentally healthy as well so that they last and have salutary effects on every generation. Just being in the presence of a right mind can make so much difference. This is good. We do need to plan and cultivate good mentally healthy communal gatherings.

[@mekman4]

I say, "being in the presence of a healthy mind"" because today while getting an eye exam for my knowledge test, meeting and working in close proximity to someone who has their sh*t together, interacting with someone who is empathic and pulled together for the duration of the 15 minutes I was there zapped all the gloom i was mired in for a while, while working things out mindfully during a period of downtime. It was enough, just to "pocket" a little bit of perspective and helped me to rise above the event for a short time. People need that all of the time.

[@SkormFlinxingGlock]

I don't think it's money that's displacing or driving out ritual. It's our attitude toward tradition and the past. "Rituals are old. Old things are dumb." So sayeth the modern.

[@TheRachaelLefler]

Yeah, the bigger problem is that we dismiss all history and want to chase after the newest thing only.

[@Stalinsorganist]

Or maybe its the fact that many rituals from religion are born of superstition and mythology, and growing populations of nonbelievers

[@JoseAmaya-gp2yb]

The largest bulk of people from the past were almost universally superstitious peasants, we'd do well to steer clear of them and their ilk.

[@inkliizii]

All of the Arabic writing in the video was flipped backwards. Arabic is written from right to left, and is also a bit like cursive, in that the letters connect to each other in certain ways. So Ramadan, instead of ن ض م ر, should be رمضن. Great video, but if you need help with Arabic in the future (or Hebrew, since other comments suggest you made the same error), you do have viewers who speak these languages, and who would probably help out! :)

[@nope.13]

I was going to say the same thing. But it's spelled رمضان not رمضن

[@alexreyes8166]

i love it when people correct something and offer to help. soooooo much better than getting all butthurt and cursing everyone out.

[@shaharbest5752]

Also the hebrew

[@oxmalapersona7800]

@@shaharbest5752 yep

[@oxmalapersona7800]

except for the JAHVE logo which is correct

[@needpit1]

I think raves are the best rituals we have today. You should talk about them !

[@vidividivicious]

And moshpits in a metal concert

[@metalheadskullbeast6108]

+Ender Wiggin hell yeah

[@iams34]

This is, in my opinion, one of the best videos of this channel. You really nailed it this time.

[@BerniWar]

Thank you, SOL and Alaine. You are making a real difference.

[@cosmicbinary1982]

i can't give this enough thumbs up. the lack of rituals is what makes me feel disconnected with my culture/religion, but i am in the process of creating some of my own.

[@brrberrymerry]

I thank this channel for existing. I have never taken this perspective on many topics shared here. I have gained so much more understanding thanks to what you do.

[@elkiness]

Once again, an excellent video. Thought provoking and yet also puts into a new perspective many things we know. Having moved to Israel many years ago from the US, one thing that delights me anew each year is ''Tu B'shavat''--the ''holiday of the trees'' (as in a popular song). Early spring and kindergarteners and their teachers, (looking like a duck with many ducklings), are out enjoying the almonds trees in beautiful blossom, singing songs, and having earnest discussions about trees. Our ''Day of Forgiveness'' and soul searching, Judaism's most sacred day, means no vehicles, no one at work or school, and still the sound of the shofar. Interesting that these rituals have lasted so very long.

[@kevinhull7925]

One thing I like about Christmas is the connection it makes to people across cultures, especially the song attributed to the angels: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill towards men" (Luke 2:14, KJV).

[@c.t.1893]

The educational system ruins learning, you bring it back and improve upon it! Thank you for existing! :)

Saturnalia FTW!!

[@soslothful]

Wow.

[@kaponei]

the brazilian carnival, basically

[@mauriciotarouquelarodrigue6622]

@Au Kaponei Hahaha, not that good. I don't like it anyway

[@evathegrand]

I love the rather recent ritual that happens in my country on the 4th of May at 20:00. The whole country stops working for 2 minutes and everybody is silent. Buses don't drive, people stop working, and in almost every town there's a gathering of people around a memorial to remember the people who died for our freedom. It's called de Nationale Dodenherdenking (The National remembrance of the dead).

[@camden7806]

Wow, what country?

[@Spinfxxx]

The memories of calling his master a shit, lighten the load... with such Dulcet articulation I wasn’t expecting this and how it made me laugh!

[@EpicLuigi24]

Very unique message for the modern day. Society is very good at throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

[@khalidalali351]

Indeed!

[@frankschneider6156]

It's rather very good at eliminating dumb behavior.

[@EpicLuigi24]

+Frank Schneider Well, I wouldn't say it's THAT good.

[@frankschneider6156]

TheLastGentleman Let's put it like this: we are a lot better at it now, than we were before the era of enlightenment. But I have to agree with you that in absolute terms this is on average still not very good.

[@frankschneider6156]

MrGreenCheddar What ? You mean sacrificing infants at midnight in the light of the full moon will NOT soothe the gods and end the drought or any other catastrophe ? Heresy ! Burn the heretic ritually at the stake, as we have always done.

[@pkingo1]

Rituals for me is a way to get into a particular mental, emotional, physical and/or spiritual space. Writers may have a ritual they do before writing, to get into a space that is conducive for writing. I think if you view rituals as an helpful tool it removes some of the stigma attached to it - e.g. that it's just a way to brainwash people, etc.

[@coolcatstuidos]

Internet memes are the new rituals

[@LordProteus]

Sorry Day was met with almost universal disdain because the idea of being held responsible for the crimes of someone else is a travesty of justice and an insult to anyone with a shred of intelligence, common sense, dignity or a sense of justice, for we are not responsible for crimes we did not commit. It was a thing of debasement and humiliation, rather than something of remembrance. Most people are no more likely to regularly grovel and beg for forgiveness for the crimes of strangers than they are to submit to a ritual where they must walk naked through the streets tolling a bell while people hurl rotten fruit at them and shouting "UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!". THAT is why Sorry day disgusted most, NOT because of apathy.

[@the1greko]

YOU ARE IN MY TOP3 CHANNELS. AMAZING AND USEFUL WORK...TOTALLY APART FROM 99%IN KZbin AND INTERNET KEEP ON PEACE

[@juansobral6595]

I used to be kind of tired of the style of videos they were making, but the last few were actually on point!

[@oiausdlkasuldhflaksjdhoiausydo]

Have fun for three days and keep salves the rest of the year. Fast for a month and don't worry during the rest of the year. All these rituals seem to me closer to scapegoating, excuses to avoid real change

[@ClydeHidershaj]

We've designed our society in a way that generates stress and anxiety. No wonder we need purging. Would we still require rituals as a form of catharsis if we created a stress-free society?

[@ailonahoop1934]

Couldn't agree more. Love your channel. it is so comforting.

[@luizarthurbrito]

one of the largest rituals in western society nowadays are the big summer music festivals.

[@scribu89]

The problem with music festivals is that they are mostly for young people. It's not something the whole society can participate in.

[@luizarthurbrito]

there are festivals of all kinds

[@oliveranderson7264]

+Cristi Burca Why not ?

[@scribu89]

@Oliver Anderson: Some reasons why music festivals are geared towards young people, in my opinion: 1) The main events, the music concerts, happen late in the evening and continue through the night. 2) The bands play music that older people generally don't appreciate and that young kids don't really understand. 3) Drinking and smoking are heavily encouraged, since that's a major source of revenue. 4) Most music festivals have an entrance fee, so not even all young people can afford to go.

[@brucew5343]

Wow... what a well rounded argument for a youtube video. It is the first thing i've seen of this channel, maybe it's my own fault, but either way, keep it up, I want to hear more from this channel. I agree we need new rituals that are geared toward our well-being and not necessarily religious ones.

[@ihazthots]

I think the Romans got it right with Saturnalia. We should look into bringing back such a flamboyant ritual.

[@ihazthots]

John Citizen, we're all slaves unless you're a million/billionaire.

[@KeenanRuffinEl]

that's a weekend at a club scene in a major city.

[@Anicca88]

Linton S. Dawson so deep..!!! Why stop there? Isn't a millionaire and a billionaire also a slave to the system and their money?

[@ihazthots]

John Citizen, not really. A wealthy person has the means to opt out of slavery to the financial system the rest of us have to endure.

[@Anicca88]

Linton S. Dawson How do they opt out? You do realise that they can't escape the system right? Because their wealth is enabled by the system, they're not mutually exclusive.

[@Ayjays0z]

I've been looking for a site like this for months. I read that the founder of SOL has written articles and stuff too so I can really bite my teeth in to things once I've sharpened up and established my interests and opinions. I'm so excited, thanks guys. Also, regardless of what rituals are - I loved this video!

[@Hiphopopotamus123]

Wow! Great video guys, I honestly think this is one of the best videos you've ever made.

[@DrBrainTickler]

do you like tradition? Do you like religion?

[@Hiphopopotamus123]

+Beyond Psychology No I'm an atheist, I just found the video very interesting. In this increasingly cynical world it's easy to forget the benefits of exercising our spiritual side. Religion's made it unfashionable.

[@lior13xlr]

dudes you miss spelled yom kippur for some reason you flipped the text it's actually looks like this יום כיפור besides that great video guys really hope to see more :)

[@somegreybloke]

My fault. Copy pasting must reformat the word/letter order. Sorry!

[@slymmajoul6011]

+The School of Life the spelling of fasting at 4:41 isn't even close, the word you wrote means "Swan" i laughed while reading it tye right spelling is صيام or صوم i love tour video and i wish this remark Will help you make always better ones :)

[@gregmiller9710]

thank you for a non-biased all culture vid. on ritual

[@nightweels]

supposed to be written like this رمضان

[@benjaminsteele13]

It's all the right-left script. The Pillars of Islam image is also backwards. I'm not fully certain that the word for fasting is accurate either, but I might be thinking of a general term.

[@richardhsiung7007]

we enjoy your programs. very nice visual presentation too. thank you.

[@eshansingh1719]

Amazing video, as always. Lot to learn and introspect. I waited for you to talk about oldest rituals that are pretty much still intact, as they were in historic times. Many of them actually. Indians follows them, particularly Hindus. For Instances, rituals to mourn their dead loved ones, feed crows on that particular day. Rituals to thank (worship) the machines that have helped industrialization and brought comfort to out lives, bu not using any of them for a day. Rituals to fast for your children/spouse without taking water or food. Rituals to eat very basic (read: not fancy fast food/ meat etc) food for a day of the year, just to cleanse your digestive system. Just a few of what I have grown up to learn. The list is certainly pretty long and the best part: they still continue in the same spirit and enthusiasm as it was in 4000 BC (yes that old)

[@frankschneider6156]

Which pretty much means: those humans are as dumb as they were 6000 years ago. That's pretty horrible, isn't it ?

[@eshansingh1719]

That's a perception. and I would not say its wrong (from your point of view) But I would try to be less judgmental. No singular way of life is better or worse. Following the western life is not getting smarter with time (or following the rituals for nature or ancestors as you would, lets say, in Philippines doesnt make you dumber) Be more accepting of the ways that dont in sync with your life style, and you will know what I mean. Horrible is a relative term. Do you feel that a small country like "Bhutan" is living in horror, because it hasnt leveled itself to western ways of life and is still (mostly) primitive in its culture ?

[@frankschneider6156]

Eshan Singh You are right, this is of course my subjective view. One major goal of every human is to not die, or at least to prevent this event as long as possible. Average life expectancy is tightly coupled to GDP and societal development. The average life expectancy in developed states is somewhere around 80 years, while in others it might be just 60. It's obviously not in the interest of every member of the society to have a life expectancy that is 25% shorter, than it could be. So yes, i personally look down on those less developed societies as vastly inferior, because it is not beneficial to its members.

[@HunterHogan]

Of the various series from The School of Life that I have watched, this series, "History of Ideas," is easily my favorite. Compared to the other School of Life videos that I have watched, the writing for this series is stronger and clearer. More importantly, I feel that the analysis is superior, on average, to the average of the other videos I have watched. Nevertheless, this particular video possibly contains the least rigorous and least defensible analysis of any video by The School of Life that I have yet watched. First, while the video is not a stereotypical noble savage story, most of the criticisms of the "truths" from noble savage stories can easily be applied here. Second, while the analysis obviously tries very hard to avoid saying anything that sounds like "the good old days," at heart, the analysis is so close to a good old days argument, that most of the same criticisms of the good old days myth can easily be applied here. Possibly the most important criticism is that this video does not mention any of the negative aspects of any of the example rituals or anything negative about rituals in general. Third, I cannot remember if there is a technical term for this analytical problem, but in many of the example rituals, the fallacy is asserting that the lives of those discussed are both representative of most people in that time and place and that the social class(es) of the people discussed are congruent with the social class(es) of the viewer (or with the typical person living in the viewer's culture). Most people in Rome were neither rich or a slave, so many of those rituals had no impact on their lives. Orgies were for the elite, and discussing that aspect of the ritual has no relevance or meaning to the contemporary person. Furthermore, the ritual itself is either not well-described or the historical record is wrong. At one point, the video claims that masters serve the slaves, but that seems improbable if the masters are attending orgies, having affairs, and getting drunk. Even the story of the Jewish community in Alexandria fits within this fallacy because the overwhelming majority of people at the time lived in rural areas, not cities, so anything that happened in the city, and only in the city, is by definition, an uncommon event rather than an example of the typical life of people at the time. Fourth, the video defines "ritual," and eventually declares that contemporary rituals "tend to be" about sports. But the definition in the video obviously includes many more events, such as family reunions, funerals, [examples from the USA:] eating together on Memorial day, Labor day, Independence day, and Thanksgiving [end USA-centric examples], May the Fourth, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Children's Day, DEFCON, 14 March (3.14), Comiket, Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Burning Man, and about eleventy grillion other "periodic invitations by society to come together with other people to mark an occassion." Fifth, the claim that old rituals have been "stripped out" of contemporary culture because of money is barely supported in the video. Are the viewers expected to believe that we do not have three-day orgies anymore because of the capitalists? Sixth, if we assume that all of the example rituals are accurately explained, the explanations are certainly problematic because they confuse what the purpose of the ritual ought to be with what the results of the rituals actually are. I doubt I need to give any examples of how most rituals have lost their ability to achieve their intended goal and instead are empty of meaning or have been transformed so much that the actual effects on the participants have nothing to do with the alleged purpose of the ritual. In the video, the example rituals of the noble savages are only explained by their alleged purpose. In contrast, the contemporary ritual of "Sorry Day" is denigrated because the actual effects of the ritual fail to achieve the purpose of the ritual. A critical analysis of a ritual should look much more like the analysis of Sorry Day than the analyses of the noble savage rituals. Finally, I think there is one particular claim in the video that epitomizes the lack of rigor and critical analysis in this video. [At 10:46] "Rituals have continued into the [contemporary] age. . . . They are very limited in their ambitions and they lack a lot of the psychological richness of religious minded rituals of old." There is not one word of evidence to support a) that old rituals had psychological richness in practice rather than just in theory, b) that old rituals were not also very limited in their ambitions, c) that limited ambitions are bad or less desirable than unlimited (grandiose? this-porridge-is-just-right?) ambitions, d) that contemporary rituals, as a class, are actually limited, or e) that contemporary rituals, as a class, lack psychological richness. ----------------- Coda This video is certainly not representative of the other videos I have watched from The School of Life. The topic itself is extremely interesting, and I believe that many people would benefit from a thoughtful, rigorous analysis of the subject. I am confident that your organization includes many people who could work together to create a video that would contribute to the discussion about the role of rituals in contemporary life. I do not know your business model or how to produce the plethora of videos you manage to produce, so I will not offer a suggestion about what to do if you agree that this video could be dramatically improved. For most people, in most situations, speaking about most topics, _accurate_ statements are sufficient and sometimes preferable to _precise_ statements: including in your videos. With that in mind, because the majority of your videos discuss history explicitly or implicitly, it is quite important to use the words "modern" and "contemporary" with precision. At 12:42, the video tells us that we, the viewers, are "modern." Many people in your audience will remember this idea, and when they survey another academic discipline (or another historical opinion) that tells your viewer that we are in the post-modern age, your viewer will be confused. How is she supposed to synthesize "modern" from this video with the meaning of "modern" in the other discussion? You can avoid this confusion by referring to your audience as "contemporary" people rather than modern people.

[@ranjitkd]

Instead of reading the full comment, I would have easily watched one full School of Life video.

[@HunterHogan]

@@ranjitkd Is someone curtailing your liberty to watch another School of Life video and entrench your ignorance?

[@Vamavid]

Some interesting rituals. 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Black Friday sale, Christmas, standing in for new iPhones (or Jordans)

[@Odood19]

Let's relive Switzerland's tunnel debut celebration every year!

[@ericibanes2271]

Hello! I'm a new subscriber and a bug fan of your videos. I would really love to see a History of ideas on Comedy please! Thank you for all the wonderful material already.

[@hrnekbezucha]

Having just one day every month completely disconnected from all social networks would be pretty powerful I believe. Possibly without computer/tablet/smartphone altogether (and TV for that matter). Now we'd have all the time to focus on the important things without being distracted. It would be a time for contemplation, meditation, reading the books you always wanted but never had the time for. Maybe a walk in a forest outside the city. What about every first Saturday?

[@JoseAmaya-gp2yb]

Fuck that, have your caveman day on your time.

[@calvinj.1926]

To a less liquid, unstable and individualized society, and for a more conscious, generous and genuinely public one, rituals are vital. But is there any actual possibility of reaching this state within contemporary capitalism?

[@NME10E]

What a superb video, thank you for acting on your ideas and creating this channel it has helped me beyond words.

[@LiveDeepLee]

This is what festivals are these days - everything from concerts, to burning man, and every other festival that allows space for us to feel deeply into that emotional connection to something deeper and bigger than ourselves

[@ioiivi5633]

Ramadan was spelled backwards in Arabic. It's رمضان. However, I'm really glad that you have tackled the subject not only from an anglo-centric point of view and mentioned the Middle East and Africa. Thank you so much! :) You did a really good job!

[@vivekshah7769]

This is a great video! And yet, I am pessimistic in regards to the creation of modern rituals. Part of the magic in traditional ritualism is the belief that such practices have been enjoying from above - in other words, from a transcendent principal from which all meaning and value is derived. I feel as though if I were to create/participate in a modern ritual, I would always feel somewhat silly about the whole affair because I would know that it's essentially made up by my imagination or people like myself.

[@JoseAmaya-gp2yb]

Pretty much, I can't take any ritual seriously because it's just us closing our eyes to the truth that the Universe is cold and uncaring. Anything we tell ourselves that says otherwise is just mental masturbation.

[@bekawestberg8491]

Hi! I wonder if your thoughts on this are still the same? Personally, my feeling is that almost everything in life in life is made up, so why feel silly doing one thing or another. Eg why is work a "legitimate" activity (as deamed by society), but taking a day for a ritual isn't? I hope you've had a lovely past five years! hehe

[@amaduli]

This is one of your best videos so far!

[@willalston9627]

We watch all of your videos, and this one is one of your best. Thanks.

[@elenapena7020]

I'm now studying the role of ritual in anthropology and this video is amazing to understand it better thank you!!

[@Jan96106]

This is a sweeping generalization. Just because you don't celebrate religious rituals does not mean others fail to do so. All one has to do is work for a school system to know that people do celebrate days important to their particular religion, and to know, at least in the U.S., that absences to celebrate those days must be honored and cannot be penalized in any way. And not merely schools, just last year during a murder trial one of the lawyers who was an orthodox Jew had the due date for a brief he needed to submit changed because it fell during Shavuot, during which his religion commanded him not to work. Also, Muslim holidays are carefully honored. As far as secular rituals, many people just celebrated one, graduation, a time in the U.S. where commencement speeches are given, and diplomas awarded, and caps and gowns worn, and Pomp and Circumstance played, and each family throws a party in honor of the graduate for his/her hard work and accomplishment. Rituals mark key transitions in the life of an individual and in the life of a collective. They are still with us. Though you are an atheist, you, like Victorian Matthew Arnold, seem merely to be mourning the decline of religious faith in Europe, and religious myth and ritual, so you miss noticing all the other occasions humans take time to commemorate or celebrate with ritual. We also just celebrated Memorial Day here in the U.S., each town with its own small observance and, nationally, President Obama placed a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. To any family who has lost a loved one to war, this yearly ritual and yearly observance is profoundly meaningful.

[@xkaxsky.69]

its just less common

[@danielescalante887]

Amen my friend rituals do seem far and fewer between however... Btw I'm not Christian so don't hate that amen lmao

[@Nemowei]

I feel like you didn't take the time to actually watch the video, and made a sweeping generalization of its whole based on the introduction.

[@lngvly22]

What about fireworks on July 4th or Trick-or-Treating on halloween? Those are new rituals that are popular.

[@annalancellotti128]

The point is that they as not super spiritually cleansing at all.

[@mr.padilla5633]

+Nouth Weast you are correct. your statement correlates with William Jamrs' The Varieties of Religious Experience.

[@elephantwarrior53]

Holloween, Christmas, etc. are now just an excuse to make and waste money. The 4th of July celebrates the idea of a nations, one of the most efficient ways to divide mankind.

[@lngvly22]

+Elephant Warrior False. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, Halloween is a fun holding to spend time with friends and enjoy horror movies and candy, and July 4th is a celebration of the greatest nation on the face of the earth. Stop being such a miserable bastard.

[@dontignorewatchme5851]

+LngVly22 uh...

[@JesPulido]

I know this is an English channel, but you misspelled Ramadan. It should be رمضان‎‎. You have the letters in reverse at 4:32.

[@anisah8546]

One of the best School of Life videos

[@christinantzachristou2860]

AMAZING VIDEOS... It was exactly the kind of videos I ve been looking for... Loved it❤️

[@TheJamesRedwood]

FYI rams' (and goats') horns are naturally hollow. They grow like a fingernail over a bone core that is much smaller than the external horn. They are attached to the skin rather than the bone, and can be easily slid off after the ram is killed. I have done this.

[@caleenaphillips771]

This was a great video! So many of the ideas expressed in this video were entirely new to me and very thought provoking. Thanks!

[@lordmaximus5]

sooothe Saturnalia is essentially a hedonistic version of the purge?

[@DrBrainTickler]

are you religious?

[@nickoftricks]

In this age I doubt many are, though I cannot speak for this person's religion I can see that their dp is Edgar alan poe and therefore with this minuscule evidence I conclude that their writings be chock-full of words like hedonistic

[@lordmaximus5]

+Beyond Psychology I'm not religious, Poe has nothing to do with my vocabulary though

[@DrBrainTickler]

Max C​ I was just asking... I usually only hear people use the word hedonistic when it's a religious person subscribing to some arbitrary set of morals and snubbing their nose at others idea of a good time... I just looked up the origins of the word and acquired a crystal-clear definition... I Now understand your statement a lot better. Poe? Are you referring to the other person statement?

[@lordmaximus5]

Beyond Psychology yes I was referring to Nick. what did you mean by reference to religion? the only belief I can think of coming close to hedonistic is paganism

[@ElFarhat]

very well made and animated video thank you @theschooloflife, personally find the last 2 minutes very interesting where we are doing things privately now ....

[@youngfilming1]

really great video, love the history of ideas series! does anybody think that music festivals are like a new form of ritual? they're not private as thousands of people take part and they're used as a way of letting out stress or just having a good time!

[@jrubin1971]

These videos are absolutely wonderful - many profound thoughts to ponder...

[@dbartholemewfox]

10:01 I think you are right about why we are suspicious of rituals in modern times. It's not always obvious that a ritual and what it signifies is the will of the congregation taking part in the ritual-or that it is beneficial to society at large. I think the reason you're interested in the therapeutic potential of rituals is the same reason why they have the power to pervert ordinary people into doing or believing extraordinarily inhumane things: rituals capture people's participation by default. They therefore have a cultural inertia which can drive participants to behave in ways which are inline with the ritual, regardless of whether its message is constructive or destructive. Thus rituals can be invented or perverted to manipulate uncritical people into bigotry and violence. In fact, perhaps the situation is even worse: perhaps hateful rituals (and the barbaric actions/thoughts they cultivate) are also 'therapeutic'. Perhaps people find it quite comforting to adopt a simple, fascistic world-view wherein violence against or extermination of some minority group leads to prosperity. I dunno... Maybe the power of rituals to improve society could be harnessed if rituals were chosen and updated democratically? Maybe that way there'd be less chance of outdated rituals which celebrate something no longer valued by society at large-or of rituals specifically invented or coopted by fear-mongerers to exercise control over society or to undermine political stability.

[@MultiSciGeek]

This video is way different than I expected. I now see the word ritual in a totally different way. Modern rituals are actually really cool like the Olympic games or the world cup. But maybe we should bring some of the old one back. I mean sure we could do all these things on our own, but like you mentioned: it would have a full effect because there inst this big support behind us and it wouldn't be a happy holiday - a healthy break from normal life. Your videos are really interesting. I wonder how a society would work if they all followed these ideas.

[@davegreenlaw5654]

Except that the 'rituals' of the Olympics and World Cup are slowly loosing favour around the world, as the taint of money, cronyism, and rampant corruption has turned off many from these spectacles. (Add in continued doping scandals, and it gets even more dreary.)

[@MultiSciGeek]

Dave Greenlaw Sadly

[@aureliorivas]

Can you guys make a video about the history of funerals and/or mourning?

[@feroxcious]

You know that lock on the refrigerator door like that will only force you to also take out ice cream every time you sin. :P

[@rnakasako]

I'm thinking whether all the meeting events (several ways to do it online) are not (curiously) feeding our needs for rituals in a collective society. Book clubs, Pot luck dinners, community associations, fight clubs (just joking about this last one) create the "right" place, time and companionship to perform several activities. And, going more to the professional side, meetings, scrum, project management activities seems to me, in a certain way, to be our rituals of work. I guess it is not that we no longer have fantastic rituals - it is just that it's been pulverized according to the individual needs and wants. I really love my Book Club monthly meeting as my ritual - and, eventually, my daily scrum standup meeting isn't too bad also...

[@cyberlioness]

I grew up in a strong family with very decided family ties. We had many, periodic rituals that involved family and holidays. I miss those days. I am all for Saturnalia! But in my city there is tremendous cynicism and a lot of young people who have replaced everything--family, love, home and children--with work, work work.

[@YhuMum]

Have you guys thought about making a video on chomsky? his idea of language growth and its implications on the concept of human nature.

[@davidkentlondon]

Who does the voice over for these videos? I just love listening to him speak.... I've listened to many other similar videos and i just prefer the general tone of this guy in particular

[@mistersassafras5730]

Alain de Botton

[@davidkentlondon]

+Mister Sassafras ah, of course! Thanks

[@sdtyhjklmnbgfdsfghj]

I love this channel, the animation and the narration. So much work is obviously put in to every video, so I was a little disappointed to see how incorrectly the Arabic words were displayed. The letters weren't joined or arranged in a way that made sense. Don't be on par with Homeland! :P

[@Cakravartin1818]

This is why you should make a video about Julius Evola, the main figure of Traditionalism

[@breeoch]

this is a very fresh perspective to see the essence of rituals, thank you for the great video! but I wonder how can we make sure that peoples also can get the essence of rituals when the rituals have been repeated so many times, it tends to lose its meaning. it's no longer a ritual but more like a routine.

[@meh4744]

You guys should do HISTORY OF IDEAS - The Yin Yang, or eastern philosophy or something of the like. Many people including myself are unsure of what it is.

[@xnukutuc]

Can you talk about the importance of trance festivals and psychedelics?

[@TheRachaelLefler]

We've become less attached to collectives of any kind. We used to live primarily in big extended families and tribes, now most people have one or two parents in their household as a kid and maybe one or two siblings, and that's it. We've lost touch with community in general. Now people don't even know their next door neighbors, when a few generations ago everyone knew the whole damn town.

[@TheRachaelLefler]

That's why we've gone in a lot of ways away from big public ritual and into rituals involving smaller groups or solitary ones.

[@kk-cr4db]

I don't think it counts a ritual but i'd like to share it anyway since they've mentioned Warsaw in the video. In Warsaw every year on 1st of August at the 5 PM the sirens go off and the whole city stops for a minute. Everyone. Cars. People on streets. It's a form of paying hommage to people who died during Warsaw Uprising in 1944 . There is a video on youtube called "there is a city". I truly recommend it just so you can see how the whole comunnity in 21st century can actually become united for a moment

[@MK-ih6wp]

that's cool, I like that

[@efjay3183]

Fascinating and profound!

[@kateparker8546]

I don't know much about the history of anxiety and depression but assuming they're more widespread today than they were 200 years ago - I wonder if the loss of ritual plays a part in that, even if it's only a small part. As you said, rituals are kind of a protector of emotional states, and romanticism hasn't exactly been the most helpful in other areas of life.

[@jerwilliamsmith]

Excellent video and analysis!

[@Ronenlahat]

Although rituals are mandatory to all in the religion, they are still exclusive events to those privileged to be in the religion in the first place. The community is highlighted and even shaped by rituals. Modernity turned exclusive communities into all inclusive public places where everybody minds their own business alone. How will future rituals overcome that?

[@geva90]

since i discoverd your page it actually changed my life, keep with the amazing work(:

[@AnkurPatel123]

I don't think rituals are mainly sports related anymore. I mean they're less in number but we still have systematic grieving for a dead loved one in many parts of the world that would be considered modern, for example, as well as festivals like Ramzan, Diwali and Christmas. I think the issue here is more about the commercialization of these rituals where the original meaning may be lost to materialistic indulgence. The ones that cannot be commercialized pretty much die out. I also kind of believe that this is just another tweak in the human experience and commercialization will blend with traditions to become a comfortable norm.

[@KR-nv3ru]

Loving this History of Ideas series. Learning a lot from it. Thanks. 🙏🙌

[@LeoBeastmode]

If we had more naked rituals, I'd actually open up my schedule for them...